Joyful crowds gathered along the streets of France's southern port of Marseille on Thursday to see torchbearers carrying the Olympic flame through the city's most emblematic sites, a day after it arrived on a majestic three-mast ship for a welcoming ceremony.

It was the first leg of an 11-week journey across the country for the torch, which will be carried by about 10,000 bearers as it passes through more than 450 towns until the Olympics Games opening ceremony in Paris on July 26.

Former soccer player Basile Boli, who played with the Marseille team in the 1990s, kicked off Thursday's relay from the Notre Dame de la Garde basilica that overlooks Marseille and the Mediterranean.

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"I'm very proud," Boli said.

"You feel like you're on top of the world, because with an Olympic flame there's a special fervour. … It's the symbol of sport."

Basketball player Tony Parker later took his turn in the relay, praising "a great honour." On a nearby crowded beach, swimmers and sunbathers cheered the torch bearers as the flame passed.

"The enthusiasm of Marseille for the flame is phenomenal," Maurice Genevois, a local resident, said.

"Honestly, I have rarely seen such a celebration."

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Magali Evrard, who came from the town of Martigues, in Marseille's region, said "it's been so long since we started talking about this and now we're in it.

"We are on the road to Paris. We can't wait, it's great," she added.

A fencing champion, a skateboarder, a Michelin-starred chef and a comedian were also chosen to carry the flame on Thursday.

"Let's go for a fantastic celebration," said Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris 2024 organising committee.

"The Games are back in our country. … Let's share this fantastic moment of celebration with millions of people in the country."

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Participants were scheduled to run all day past landmarks in the city to bring the torch to the roof of the famed Stade Vélodrome, home to Marseille's passionate soccer fans. Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba, a former star player for the Marseille club, was the last torchbearer of the day and lit the Olympic cauldron just outside the stadium.

Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra said "it's fantastic to give that sense of pride to the French people and to show to the whole world what we're capable to achieve."

"'We're going to give happiness to the whole world," she added.

Torchbearers included Ukrainian gymnast Mariia Vysochanska, who won two gold medals at the 2020 European Championships and competed at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Her inclusion was an expression of solidarity with Ukraine as well as a symbolic gesture to mark Europe Day, which falls on May 9 each year. Vysochanska led a group of 27 other athletes who represent all European Union member states.

"It's a way to really celebrate Europe, its values and also to demonstrate our attachment to the European sport model," Oudéa-Castéra said. Ukraine received the green light last year to start accelerated talks on joining the EU.

"(Ukrainians) face that terrible war of aggression, and we want to really express that we support them the best we can," she said.

"This is unity. This is hope. This is solidarity. And we want their victory."

Marseille on Wednesday celebrated with great fanfare the flame's arrival, with more than 230,000 people attending the ceremony in the Old Port, according to the city's mayor, Benoît Payan.

During the Games, the sailing competition and some soccer matches will be held in Marseille.

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They are 11 words that would change the world of cinema forever.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, you ain't heard nothin' yet!" would be uttered ad-lib by singer Al Jolson in 1927's The Jazz Singer, the first time an audience would see an actor on screen, communicating as they would in the foyer, without full-frame intertitles explaining plot transitions, or gurning faces to emphasis an emotion.

The technology behind The Jazz Singer would quickly kill the era of silent film, as thousands of theatres were rewired for sound.

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But now Shooshfest, Australia's first silent short film competition, is bringing back the hush to the movie house.

"It's where film began," says co-founder of Shooshfest, Rebecca Zemunik.

"You can have title cards, no diegetic sounds, so no sound within, but sound on top of is allowed, (like the piano accompaniment that was traditional in the silent era) and off you go.

"Some are animated, some are stop motion, some are really narrative driven, some are more esoteric."

The films are allowed a maximum of 10 minutes on-screen, and will be judged by experienced screen creatives like Mark Joffe, a film director and producer whose credits include Spotswood with Sir Anthony Hopkins and the ABC series Jack Irish.

"Sound is really important, whether you use it or not; it's actually great when you don't use it," Joffe says.

"The Artist won the Best Picture Oscar 10 or 15 years ago without any sound."

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Twenty entrants have submitted for this inaugural festival, which will be announced tonight in Sydney, with the winner taking home the Golden Finger statuette, the finger meaning "shhhhhh".

"It's been an absolute joy to see what people have been able to put together," Zemunik says.

Mark adds: "It just goes back to storytelling.

"It's all about being entertained, that's the bottom line."

Australian entertainer Kamahl will face court next month after a woman accused him of stalking her.

The singer, born Kandiah Kamalesvaran, has been accused of stalking a 38-year-old woman, who has now applied for an apprehended violence order against him.

The 89-year-old will face one count of stalking with intent to cause fear and the AVO application made against him at Sutherland Court in Sydney next month.

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It's alleged the singer threatened the woman after she invited him over for dinner in May 2023 to ask for business funding.

Kamahl deposited $2000 the next day before the woman agreed to pay the singer back in $5 weekly repayments.

The first repayment transaction sent from the woman to Kamahl caused the disagreement between the pair after the woman wrote "to the molester" in the transaction description.

Kamahl told 9News the claim was unfounded and he has never faced sex crime-related charges.

There is no suggestion that he had committed a sex crime.

A text exchange followed between the pair, where the woman alleges she was threatened.

"I just wanted you to know that your behaviour is unacceptable and you're lucky I haven't gone to the authorities," a text from the woman to Kamahl read.

"You are a liar, and a failure, and most of all an ungrateful b—-. The best is yet to come!" Kamahl responded.

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The singer told 9News that he was not taking his medication when he replied to her.

"I'm an 89-year-old man… I was not being unkind I was responding to a situation without all of my faculties," Kamahl told 9News.

"I'm not worried, meaning that it is what it is, any publicity is better than no publicity, I'm sure about that." 

The alleged victim declined to comment.

National Domestic Violence Service: 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732). If you are in immediate danger call triple zero (000).

A $30 million Sydney penthouse that offers breathtaking views of Sydney Harbour from every room has hit the market.

The 'King Residence' in the Greenland Centre on Bathurst Street boasts 700 square metres of indoor and outdoor space, five bedrooms, five bathrooms and six car spaces.

Real Estate Agent Gavin Rubenstien from the Rubenstein group told 9News that the home was at "the top of the list" for Penthouses in Sydney.

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"It is fantastic on every level," Rubenstein told 9News.

"(it's) 245 metres high…the sheer size, expanse, the aspect, perspective."

The kitchen features backlit onyx stone and high-end appliances, including a hidden dishwasher.

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There's also a temperature-controlled wine cellar, reflection pool and outdoor terrace area, complete with a BBQ.

"I think Greenland did a phenomenal job with the finish, they've really put in an effort to make sure that it feels like a home as well," Rubenstein said.

"There is nothing these guys haven't thought of in regards to the design."

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The potential buyers range from international residents to cashed-up locals, as well as property investors, Rubenstein said.

The penthouse is expected to fetch over $30 million through private sale.

A South Australian father-of-two has been jailed in Bali after he was allegedly caught with methamphetamine.

Troy Smith from Port Lincoln was holidaying with his wife, Tracey, in the tourist hotspot last week when police raided his room at a resort in Legian near Kuta.

He and his wife were both arrested after officers allegedly uncovered 3.19 grams of crystal meth in an envelope mailed from Cairns. 

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The envelope was allegedly addressed to Troy, with the sender writing that private paperwork, photos and lubricant were also included. 

A bong was also allegedly found in the villa.

His lawyer told 9News Troy confessed to possessing the meth, which was stashed inside a toothpaste tube.

"He's admit, as well, that his friend was sending that one because he's a user," his lawyer said. 

Troy is behind bars in Denpasar charged with drug possession – an offence that carries a maximum 12-year sentence.

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Tracey was released without charge.

His lawyer said he would argue Troy had been using drugs for four years and should face rehabilitation rather than jail.

"We'll do everything we can do as a lawyer … use our knowledge and everything to prove he's actually a user," his lawyer said.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed it was providing consular assistance to the father.

Indonesia is known for its strict laws against drugs with trafficking an offence punishable by death.

A killer drove at his girlfriend and a group of people who came to her aid two months before he stabbed her to death in her own apartment.

The new details of family violence were heard as Ricardo Barbaro faced the Victorian Supreme Court for a pre-sentence hearing on Thursday.

The 37-year-old was last year found guilty of murdering his partner Ellie Price at her South Melbourne home in the early hours of April 29, 2020.

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Police found her body five days later with stab wounds and a cut to her neck.

Prosecutor Damien Hannan said two months earlier, in February 2020, Barbaro and Price had an altercation in a car at North Melbourne after spending the day drinking.

She "escaped" from the vehicle and Barbaro drove at her and group of other people who came to her aid, Hannan said.

Barbaro pleaded guilty over the incident and was jailed for one month, the prosecutor told the court.

But Barbaro's barrister Rishi Nathwani said his client had pleaded guilty to the charge on the basis he did not assault Price.

The barrister conceded there was an incident in November 2019 in which Barbaro damaged a car while Price was inside because he was angry about not having contact with his children.

Nathwani accepted that was a form of family violence, even if Price was not directly hit.

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The defence have also conceded family violence was an aggravating feature of the murder, as was the use of a knife and the stabbing happening in Price's own home where she was entitled to feel safe.

He also noted Barbaro's conduct after the killing, where he left the scene in Price's Mercedes Benz before dumping the vehicle at a Diggers Rest property, northwest of Melbourne.

Barbaro fled to NSW in a van after media reported that Price's body had been found.

Justice Stephen Kaye said it was clear Barbaro's behaviour after the murder showed a "patent lack of remorse".

"It doesn't go to his credit at all," the justice said.

The pre-sentence hearing was adjourned for an assessment report from a neuropsychologist.

Barbaro was remanded in custody to his next court date in September.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

A fifteenth man has been charged over a riot that broke out after a teenage boy's alleged terror stabbing at a Wakeley church.

A 41-year-old man turned himself in at Narellan Police Station on Tuesday, hours after police released images of nine people wanted in relation to last month's riot.

He was issued a court attendance notice for more than three people use violence cause fear and join or continue in unlawful assembly.

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He will face court in late June. 

Fourteen other men have already been charged over their alleged involvement in the riot, which left emergency service workers injured and police cars smashed.

Eight people remain wanted; seven men and one woman.

Their images were released in the public appeal to find them as police urged them to hand themselves in.

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The riot was sparked after livestream footage of a sermon at Christ The Good Shepherd Church showed Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel allegedly stabbed by a 16-year-old.

Hundreds of angry worshipers gathered outside the church. Police car windows were kicked in and projectiles were thrown at authorities.

Police and paramedics suffered injuries in the mayhem.

Investigations into the riot remain ongoing. 

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

A trio of fishermen from Geelong are celebrating after they reeled in a southern bluefin tuna weighing in at 165 kilograms on Tuesday evening.

Steve Nelson, Bobby Griffiths, and Reece Holwell, known to friends as "Chum Norris", caught the monster tuna after nearly two hours of fighting off the coast of Portland.

"It was actually Steve's first time fighting a tuna," Griffiths told 9news.com.au.

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"He's managed to find that one for his first-ever tuna, which is pretty wild.

"He's saying he's not going tuna fishing anymore".

Griffiths claimed it was likely among the 10 biggest southern bluefin caught in Australia.

"Some people chase those for 10 years and don't get one, so he's come with us on the right day," he said.

The trio left Geelong around 2.30am to drive down the coast to Portland.

After not getting a bite all day, Griffiths said they hooked the monster tuna around 3.30pm.

Following an "emotional rollercoaster", Griffiths said they finally brought the fish up after 1 hour and 45 minutes of fighting.

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They called local fishing shop Compleat Angler Portland to come and weigh the tuna once they had brought it back to shore.

The tuna clocked in at 165kg, with Griffiths estimating the fish's length at 210cm.

After taking the fish home, Griffiths carved up the fish and distributed the prime tuna to his friends and workmates.

Griffiths claimed he and his mates spotted a "shooting star" while setting off in the early hours of the morning – a good omen for the day ahead.

Have you recently caught a fish of note around Australia? Send a picture of your catch and a few words describing its capture to sm****@******om.au.

A school in Sydney's west entered lockdown this afternoon after a student was allegedly found with a knife.

NSW Police and NSW Ambulances attended Chifley College at St Mary's at 1.20pm today following reports that a student had brought a knife to the school.

Police confirmed a staff member suffered a small laceration while trying to disarm the student.

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The student has been taken to hospital for assessment.

No students were injured.

It's understood the lockdown has since been lifted. 

Investigations into the incident continue. 

In March 2020, Australians had no idea that they were about to face years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the same time, two campers headed into the Victorian High Country.

Russell Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, disappeared on that camping trip in the Wonnangatta Valley.

They would never return home to their families.

That was nearly four years ago.

Two people reported missing.

It sparked one of the most perplexing missing persons cases in the country's history.

The police investigation ran for more than 18 months.

It wasn't until November 2021 that police made an arrest.

Former Jetstar pilot, Gregory Lynn, was charged with two counts of murder.

He's always denied the charges against him.

Lynn, from Caroline Springs in Melbourne's north-west, has been behind bars on remand since his arrest, waiting to contest the charges.

After being committed to stand trial in January 2023 he indicated he would plead not guilty.

Now he's about to stand trial in Victoria's Supreme Court.

A new podcast from 9News, The Age and 9Podcasts will follow the court case as it unfolds.

The Missing Campers Trial is the first podcast to follow a jury trial in real time in Victoria.

It's written, researched and presented by me – Penelope Liersch, a reporter with 9News – and Erin Pearson, crime and justice reporter with The Age.

Erin has followed this case from the beginning and will be in court each day, bringing listeners along with her.

In weekly episodes we'll report on the testimony and arguments from both the prosecution and the defence as they're presented to the jury – the only people who can deliver a final verdict. 

The Missing Campers Trial will also give listeners a greater insight into the criminal justice system.

In the words of prominent Melbourne media lawyer Justin Quill, a criminal trial is often one of the final steps in a long court process.

"It's the finale. It's the grand final if you like, the Super Bowl of the judicial process."

Quilly has worked in the legal system for more than 25 years.

In today's episode, he shares his experience, taking listeners inside the system.

You can listen to that episode by pressing play below. 

https://omny.fm/shows/the-missing-campers-trial/inside-the-court/embed?style=cover

The Missing Campers Trial launches today.

Search for The Missing Campers Trial in your podcast app and press the follow button to get every new episode for free or tap here